Izuchukwu OkosiThe FA (England) charged Arsenal with failing to control their players on Tuesday night in their Premier League meeting with Newcastle United for failing to ensure their players conducted themselves following their last-minute penalty incident.
The Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League table has been cut back down to five points following the 0-0 stalemate with the Magpies, who survived a spot-kick shout right at the death.
This is with reference to not acting ‘in an orderly fashion during the 95th minute’ when the home side were claiming a penalty.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn the fifth minute of second-half injury time, Granit Xhaka’s attempted cross into the box struck the arm of Jacob Murphy at close range, leading to Arsenal players to remonstrate with referee Andy Madley for a penalty.
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However, Madley waved away the appeals, and VAR official Stuart Attwell upheld the decision, leaving Gunners players and Mikel Arteta seething with anger at the full-time whistle.
Arsenal was also denied another penalty call when center-back Gabriel was dragged down inside the box by Dan Burn.
Neither Madley nor Attwell saw anything wrong with that incident either, leading Gabriel to aim a thinly-veiled dig at the officials in a social media post.
“Arsenal FC has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 following its Premier League match against Newcastle United on Tuesday 3 January 2023,” a statement read.
“It’s alleged that Arsenal FC failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 95th minute, and the club has until Tuesday 10 January to respond.”
A report from Goal states that Arsenal is unlikely to appeal the charge and will seemingly accept any punishment that comes their way from the FA.
Meanwhile, manager Mikel Arteta was on Friday named the Premier League Coach of the Month of December 2022.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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